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Top 3 Apulia Beaches

The summer is a perfect time to get a golden Italian tan and relax. There is no better place to do this than Apulia. Here’s a list of 3 beaches everyone should visit at least once…

Vieste Beach. This 30km-long stretch is famous for its pine groves which offer an ideal backdrop to the amber sand and crystal clear waters. Its enchanting marine grottoes are breathtaking.

Baia dei Turchi Beach. This bay is famous for its white, sugary sand and for the Mediterranean nature scents which linger in every sea breeze. Breathe in, breathe out…!

Punta Prosciutto Beach. The name says it all. This beach is as delicious as it sounds. The sapphire water and powdery sand make this protected natural reserve a hidden paradise.

Meet the team

Vito has never stop looking for new beaches and cool spots which he has not visited. He pledged to himself that he must visit at least 1 new beach each year and collect some of its sand for his special collection.

Venere Knows Best

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What clothes should I pack for a trip to the north of Italy?

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What clothes should I pack for a trip to the north of Italy?

Depends completely on when you go and what you plan to do! In winter, you could be skiing or snowboarding by day and rubbing shoulders with the international jetset by a roaring fire in a fancy Alpine ski resort by night. So, pack your skis and your party best. Prefer something a slightly more low-key? Whether you are marveling at the sights of Venice or catching up on the latest winter fashions in Milan, you can’t go wrong with comfortable walking shoes, some warm clothes, and some fancier wear for the evening. In the summer, you could be soaking up the rays on beaches of the Italian Riviera, hiking in from town to town in Cinque Terra, paragliding over Lake Como, wine tasting in Piedmont, and, of course, showing off your evening finery everywhere. So the only advice is to always take some sun protection, your swim trunks, walking shoes, and your coolest sunglasses. The rest is really up to you!

Spend a night in Noto. This UNESCO Heritage Site becomes something absolutely magical by night. The limestone building materials shades the city with a fairytale-like color of soft honey which will leave you breathless.

Visit Palermo’s Ballarò street market. The atmosphere alone is movie-set like. But put your cameras down and take in all the smells and sights which make this one of the most famous street markets in Italy. If you want to get some local street cred, try the pani ca meusa (aka spleen sandwich). And don’t go home without trying a cannoli.

Meet the team

Louise is a Brooklyn native who now lives in Rome. When she’s not traveling around Italy, she’s probably home sewing, gardening or cooking!

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Apart from Rome and its wonders, what else is there in central Italy?

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Apart from Rome and its wonders, what else is there in central Italy?

Tuscany – in particular, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and Pisa, and the surrounding countryside – is a must! Perhaps the quintessential Italian region, Tuscany epitomizes everything that makes Italy famous. From great art to fabulous food and wine, from stunning landscapes to beautiful city centers, from high culture to local traditions, Tuscany, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and breeding ground of geniuses like Michelangelo and Leonard da Vinci, has it all. If you have a little more time, then Umbria is also a must. In fact, many say that the Umbrian hills, with their beautiful medieval hill towns, are second to none, including their more renowned Tuscan cousins. Spoleto and Perugia are must visits, especially for their music and art festivals in the summer. Medieval Viterbo, in Lazio, is wonderful for those who fancy thermal baths, while Sardinia is a beach and seafood lover’s paradise! More? Well, don’t miss island life in Ponza and Ventotene!

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Discover Tuscany’s most famous wine area!

Escape crowded cities into Tuscany’s picture-postcard landscape by visiting the delightful towns and rolling green hills in the Chianti countryside between Siena and Florence. Here are my 3 favorite towns in the area where Chianti Classico wine comes from:

Gaiole in Chianti’s main attractions are the superb wineries you can visit all around. The Castello di Brolio is a “must”, being the place where Chianti Classico was “invented” by Baron Bettino Ricasoli back in the 19th Century. The garden offers some breathtaking views over Chianti and Siena too.

Greve in Chianti with its Wine Museum is the perfect place to soak up a little Italian life by enjoying a bite to eat at one of the little restaurants under the porticos in the main square after having checked out the artisan and food shops like the town’s ancient Tuscan butchery that has been going since the 18th Century. Saturday mornings is a good day to go since the weekly market is a lively affair!

Radda in Chianti is a real medieval gem, perching on a hill top overlooking the Arbia and Pesa valleys. After wandering around the town’s narrow lanes, main square and Romanesque churches, be sure to pay a visit to the Museum of Sacred Art of Chianti before heading off into the countryside to try wine tasting at a local vineyard.

Meet the team

Adam is a history buff, art lover, and all-around aesthete who enjoys farming on the weekends in his olive grove in the countryside near Rome.

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What’s unique about the south of Italy?

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What’s unique about the south of Italy?

Every Italian is a natural chef but some credit must go to the high quality, fresh ingredients that go into most of their everyday specialties! Your taste buds are sure to be amazed by some classics such as the Sicilian arancino rice ball, spaghetti with localbottarga tuna sauce, Neapolitan sfogliatella ricotta-filled pastry, creamy burrata cheese and of course Apulian velvety olive oil. Now that’s food worth traveling for!

Southern Italy beaches not only boast a warm climate but warm and welcoming people as well. The range of beach types only add to the appeal of the south where you’ll find white fine sand beaches to the darker volcanic black sand, as well as pebbled seaside inlets. Probably the most impressive aspect of southern Italian beaches is their pristine, unspoilt nature which attracts both tourists and locals alike. Bring your sunscreen because it gets hot!

Sacred art and architecture in southern Italy is must for historians and art lovers. Religious art plays an important role in the everyday lives of locals in southern Italy. Take a walk around any historic city center and you’ll be greeted by street shrines of medieval frescoes, ornate Baroque churches glowing with gold and precious altarpieces and Sicilian Arab Norman cathedrals. You’re sure to find art to meditate and reflect upon.